Considering 29% of fortunate enough to be gainfully employed admit they're tardy at least once a month (and 16% do it weekly), you can bet some of the reasons they come up with are pretty imaginative. Don't believe us? Check out the best of the best. Or worst of the worst. Or best of the worst. We're really not sure:

I forgot it wasn’t the weekend.

I put petroleum jelly in my eyes.

I had to watch a soccer game that was being played in Europe.

I thought Flag Day was a legal holiday.

My pet turtle needed to visit the exotic animal clinic.

The wind blew the deck off my house.

I overslept because my kids changed all the clocks in the house.

I was cornered by a moose.

My mother locked me in the closet.

The pizza I ordered was late being delivered, and I had to be home to accept/pay for it.

The sunrise was so beautiful that I had to stop and take it in.

My mother-in-law wouldn’t stop talking.

My dad offered to make me a grilled cheese sandwich, and I couldn’t say no.

The good news? The notion of a traditional workday is disappearing quicker than your 401(k) -- 64% of employees and employers say the idea of working 9-5 is out of date. But don't let that fool you because bosses, while generally okay with a subordinate clocking in late from time to time, still value punctuality, as evidenced by the 41% who've canned someone for getting to work late.

There's also something for good work ethic. About 69% say they'll stay late to make up for the time missed at the beginning of their shift.

As for more traditional excuses for not being on time, 49% cite traffic, 32% blame oversleeping, 26% say bad weather, 25% admit they're too tired to get up and 17% say they're simply putting off going to work.